Food Prep 101

A 4 minute read

The key to Success
When following your PLT plan, the number one key to success is to eat your coach allocated calories. The best way to do this is to plan your day ahead of time, entering your food into your tracking app so you know what and how much to eat to meet your targets. Preparing food is an important part of your weekly process and a worthy investment of your time.
 
You have likely seen on social media beautifully created meals that ‘fit your macros’ and dreamed of opening your fridge and finding neat containers stacked and ready for you to heat and enjoy….this is NOT required at all but as with anything, it’s down to personal choice…
 
Whether you are cooking/prepping for just yourself or you have a family of ravenous active teen athletes to cook for the process is the same:

PROTEIN FIRST!
Protein is the nutrient you want to be sure you always have on hand as it is where you start your planning everyday; plan ahead spreading your allotted amount of protein throughout the day to keep you satiated and then add in carbs and fat according to your numbers.
PLT has created two videos on how to plan your day. Please review the links below for your appropriate tracking app: 
My Macros+
My Fitness Pal
 
What you cook is entirely up to you and your family’s tastes, PLT recommends you eat lean proteins when on a weight loss plan; here are some great suggestions to start the ball rolling:

• Extra lean ground turkey (brown, toss w/ taco seasoning or salsa)
• Boneless chicken breasts (bake, broil, grill, saute w/ your favorite seasonings)
• Skinless/boneless chicken thighs (brown, throw in slow cooker with salsa, canned diced tomatoes & seasonings of choice)
• Pork loin (roast or cook in slow cooker to pull)
• Tempeh (pan seared, baked)
• Shrimp (grilled, broiled, sautéed, best if eaten within 2 days)

 
CARBS…are vegetables carbs?? Why yes, yes they are but let’s start with our starchy carbs:

• Rice (jasmine, brown, white, yellow, wild, make in a rice cooker or pot and make a lot)
• Sweet potatoes (baked whole or chunked or made into ‘fries’, boiled & mashed, shredded & sautéed)
• White potatoes (same as above)
• Quinoa
• Pasta

 
And now the ‘other’ very important carbs – VEGGIES!
Not all vegetables store well when prepped ahead so PLT recommends purchasing convenient steam bags of fresh veggies from the produce dept. at your grocery store as they are great time savers on busy weeknights! Here are a handful of easy to prep ahead veggies that keep for several days at least:

• Broccoli – steamed, sautéed, roasted
• Cauliflower – steamed, roasted, riced, mashed
• Green beans – steamed
• Zucchini – sautéed w/tomatoes & garlic
• Bell peppers – sautéed
• Kale – prepped for salads or sautéed
• Asparagus – roasted or steamed

 
So, how are you going to make all this food without it taking all day?

• Start cooking your proteins first
• If using a slow cooker which will take several hours get that going early on
• Start your rice cooker if using one
• Slice, dice and prep all your veggies and start steaming, roasting as many as you can at once

 
As your food cooks, break out your containers; there are two different ways to store your delicious prepped food:
 BULK STORAGE
     PROS:

• Can mix and match easily to create meals of various proportions
• As the week goes on you can weigh and measure individual ingredients and then combine them. This is a great way to have things like quick stir fry dishes or yummy ‘one dish’ meals like Mexican chicken and rice and know exactly how much of each ingredient is in your bowl
• Maybe you are eating slightly different than someone in your family; this gives everyone the options they need to eat what works best for them

      CONS:

• In a pinch you don't have something to grab & go

INDIVIDUAL MEALS
    PROS:

• Convenient if you are the type of person that wants to walk in the door after work or head out to work knowing that your meal is already weighed, measured, tracked

    CONS:

• Time consuming; making individual containers of weighed & measured meals increases prep time
• Storage Issue; individual meals require more storage
• Eliminates flexibility; in the event you need to adjust a meal it now becomes challenging

Although not actual food prep, having some basics on hand is the last step to ensuring a successful week. As with anything, this is down to personal preference and your individual nutritional needs but here are some goodies to always have on hand:

• Eggs/egg whites
• Nonfat Greek yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• Salad greens
• Salsas
• Hot sauces
• Deli turkey/ham
• Sour cream
• BBQ sauce
• Stir fry sauce
• Taco seasoning
• Fresh fruit

Get as creative as you like but remember that keeping food as simple as possible can benefit you when following a nutrition plan. Elaborate recipes will always be tricky to track; keep it simple and keep it stress free.
 
Happy prepping!
Thank you,
​Patti